Jersey aiming to improve T20 World Cup qualifier record

Jersey's women are hoping to improve their record in T20 World Cup qualifying.

The islanders have yet to progress past the first stage of European qualifying for the tournament.

They will take part in the first stage of European qualifying next year as they aim to get closer to a major tournament for the first time.

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Jersey have finished third in their group in the past two European Division Two tournaments, with the top two progressing to the next round - the best sides from that higher tournament go on to play in the Global Qualifier.

"I think that the way that women's cricket is developing so fast, and has been relatively undeveloped 10 years ago to where it is now, there's huge opportunity to move up the rankings in women's cricket," Jersey's director of cricket Neil MacRae told BBC Radio Jersey.

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"We've got a tournament next summer where the women's team will play in a World Cup T20 pathway tournament, that's a massive opportunity to go to the next level in European cricket and push on on that World Cup pathway.

"I think for Jersey cricket and aspirationally for every girl on the island who's getting into cricket, that would be an amazing thing," he added.

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"All our teams, that is one of the huge goals, to get Jersey teams on that world stage, to get to that World Cup and give us the platform to really showcase what we're doing here."

Jersey's men missed out on making the 2026 T20 World Cup on net run rate and regularly compete with the best sides in Europe.

The island has produced Glamorgan and England Lions batter Asa Tribe, who has gone on to play in The Hundred and in franchise cricket in South Africa.

Jersey's first woman to get a franchise contract - Grace Wetherall - says she is excited for the future of the island side having worked with their best young players.

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"The team that we have now has improved massively over the past three years and the kids that we have coming through, the 16-year-olds, they're insane players they've got a lot of potential to be good," said Wetherall, who will soon be joining Vancouver Anchors in the Canada Super60 event.

"I feel like our next step will be globals and I think that is a massive real possibility for us next year.

"We've got a strong side and we know what to expect, we've played in qualifiers before and obviously we've lucked out in past two years.

"But I feel like where we are right now we definitely have the possibility to get there and from globals hopefully to push on to the World Cup one day."

With an increased profile for the women's game, and more money available, Jersey are hoping they are in a good position to capitalise on the growth of the sport.

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They have more girls playing than ever before and hope the work going in now will bear fruit in years to come.

"What we're trying to do mirrors what the ICC are trying to do in terms of growth of women's cricket generally," said MacRae.

"They're putting a lot of funding now into women's cricket, which wasn't the case 10 years ago.

"We've been aware of that for a few years and we've been trying to build a squad year on year.

"That's certainly starting to reach a level now where we've got a very competitive and exciting team.

"We hope we can go a lot further with that and that's really the project at the moment for the women."

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